Journey to the Edge
by swirling-embers
Summary: Mira Filatine wants to explore the Edge, not live out her life in the peaceful Free Glades. The death of her grandfather, Xanth Filatine finally convinces her that she should leave, but can she survive in the harsh reality of life on the Edge?


**This is set after 'The blooding of Rufus Filatine' in 'The Lost Barkscrolls'. Well, a number of years later...**

**Most of the characters (including Mira) are my own ideas but obviously exiting charcters (eg. Xanth and Rufus) are not my creations etc etc etc.**

**This is my first Edge Chronicles story so PLEASE REVIEW!! I would be SOOO greatful to be told if its worth continuing or if I should scrap in now**

**Anyway, hopefully it will be ok ...**

Mira walked slowly down the platform of Lake Landing, away from the Academy. Scuffing her shoes across the wooden planks, she sighed to herself; there was nothing to _do_. The Free Glades may be a safe haven for peaceful creatures but Mira felt like a caged bird struggling for freedom. The stories of roaming bands of wild flatheads or the terrors of the Goblin nation did not fill her with fear, or make her grateful for the protection of the Glades, it made her excited. She wanted to see the stories for herself, to travel far across the Edge, to battle the evil creatures and, more than anything, to be free.

There was just one person who stood in her way, the Scartree Roost Commander; her father. Many years ago he had been a Free Glade Lancer, and had made his way up through the ranks until he was Commander. Rufus Filatine was the most respected and well-known of the five Commanders, he was also a very protective father.

As Mira reached the end of Lake Landing, she turned to look out over the still lake, its waters mirroring perfectly the pink, evening sky. She wanted adventure; to feel the wind in her face as she raced through the sky on her very own skyship, or while rushing over treetops on the back of a majestic Prowlgrin. She made her way round Waif Glen until she reached the shore of the North Lake. From here she moved quickly and quietly down to an empty coracle and, before any of the Oakelves on the shore could stop her, had slipped it into the water and was paddling towards Lullabee Island. One Oaklelf, old even for their kind, sighed as he saw the approaching figure, her black curls flying wildly as she tried to out paddle the crafts pursuing her closely.

"That child listens to no one!" He spoke quietly, so that the girl, currently trying to climb out of the coracle without ending up in the lake, could not here him. He took a few steps forward, and called out to her. "Mistress Mira, we have told you, time and again, that you cannot just come to our Island whenever you like; this is a _sacred place_. I understand you want to visit you Grandfather, but he is ill, and will never get the rest he needs if you insist on visiting this often!" The Oakelf tried to be sound resolute, but he knew she would not listen.

The girl looked up, her face flushed from the race. She smiled at the Oakelf and patted him on the shoulder as she walked passed. "I'm sorry Orison, but I have to see him." She began to walk away slowly, as if there was not a small army of Oakelves on her trail, but once out of sight began running towards where her grandfather was residing.

She reached the large cocoon and stopped; taking a deep breath she stepped forwards and gazed into the darkness. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but then she could see the figure propped up with cushions his, face calmed through sleep. The man moved slightly and opened an eye, he smiled at her, but a flash of 

pain turned it into a grimace. Mira smiled comfortingly back, trying to keep the worry off her face. She knew he was sick, but his appearance shocked her every time she visited. His face was gaunt and sickly, but his eyes still shone with life, just as they always had. She was so proud of her grandfather, not for what he had accomplished in life, but because he seemed to be the only person who genuinely believed that one day she would see the world; edge to edge. Her childhood was filled with the stories he told her; the stories of epic adventures, of his friendship with the famous Rook Barkwater, of the infamous Guardians of Night. The stories of the courageous Xanth Filatine had sparked the desire within her to leave the Glades.

"No, no, NO! I will not tolerate this Miss Mira! I told you that one visit a month was enough! I do not need you here getting under my feet all the time!" Mira looked down at the stout Oakelf, raising her eyebrow at the nurse's choice of words. The elf seemed to expand with rage. "Just... just MOVE!" She forced her way past Mira and climbed into the Caterbird nest. The girl rolled her eyes before scowling at the back of the little elf who was fussing over her grandfather. Xanth laughed at the look on his granddaughter's face, but his body was weak and the hearty laugh became a choking cough, which the nurse hastily calmed. Mira knew that the Oakelf would surely remove her from the island once she had made sure her grandfather was safe. She leaned into the nest and took his frail hand in hers, careful not to cause anymore problems.

"I'll visit again soon, grandfather. Maybe next time you will be able to join me on a trip around the island." Mira avoided Xanth's gaze they both knew this would not be true. Smiling at him one last time, she turned and left, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. Her grandfather's illness was worsening and Mira did not want to face the truth.

She walked solemnly passed the Oakelves who had previously pursued her across the lake and climbed back into the coracle and slowly headed for the far shoreline. Orison stood on the beach of Lullabee Island and watched the girl reach the shore and disappear from sight. Oakelves were known for their extensive knowledge and wisdom, but it didn't take much to foresee the coming tragedy. The old elf remembered Xanth when he had first arrived at the Glades and it hurt him deeply to see his old friend's failing health and worried about how Mistress Mira would take the news when it happened.

...

Mira woke three weeks later to the sound of rain lashing against the glass of her window. Although the sun had risen, the storm clouds hid it and cast a gloomy grey throughout the Glade. She dressed before making her way slowly down the winding staircase to the large sitting room, expecting to find the cavernous room empty. Instead, a congregation of Oakelves, Spindlebugs and Fourthlings were speaking in hushed tones filled the room. One of the elves looked up and saw Mira, and within seconds the room was silent, all faces turned to hers in sympathy. She looked around for her parents in confusion, and when her eyes met with her fathers, the shock of realisation nearly knocked the girl to her knees. Rufus Filatine opened his mouth to speak, but Mira was already running back up the wooden steps. The silent room heard the sound of a door slamming and then the sombre conversations continued once more. Rufus looked towards his wife; knowing that he would not be able to comfort his daughter. She took his hand and squeezed it as a sign of her support.

"Leave her for now; she won't want to talk to anyone until she has come to terms with what has happened. We always knew she would take your father's death hard, but she must overcome the shock by herself." Seeing that this had not consoled her husband, Tamriss ascended the stairs to her daughter's room. She turned the handle, but found that the door was locked. Putting her ear to the wood, she could her quiet sobs which seemed to be slowing.

"Mira?" She spoke quietly, but the lull of noise told Tamriss that the she had heard. "Mira, will you let me in?" Mira sat up and looked towards the door, her eyes red and puffy from the tears which ran down her soft cheeks onto her bed. When she spoke she found it hard to keep her voice from cracking or faulting.

"Please, I just want to be alone right now." Her mother paused for a number of seconds before returning to the gathering below. Mira waited until the footsteps had faded before she opened the door to check her mother had left. Locking the door again, she began ripping her bed sheet into long thin strips, tears still flowing down her cheeks, wetting the white cloth.

...

By midmorning the majority of creatures had left the house of the Filatines and only a small group of close friends and family remained. Rufus was beginning to worry about Mira, who had not left her room since she had been told the devastating news. He excused himself from the group of people around and climbed the stairs to check on his daughter. Like his wife, he put his ear to the door but could only 

hear an odd banging noise at irregular intervals. At first he spoke quietly, but when no reply came his voice grew louder until he was shouting for Mira to open the door. Drawn by the noise, many of the guests began ascending the stairs to see the cause of the commotion and stopped at the sight before them. The child's door was rocking on its hinges; a top section of the door was missing, where the bolt had broken off. Rufus was still stood in the doorway looking into his daughter's room. The room was empty; the window at the far side flew open and closed at the mercy of the storm. It was this back and forth motion that had been the source of the banging. However, it was the bed sheet rope disappearing over the windowsill that had caused the man to stop and look on in disbelief and horror; Mira was gone. Tamriss ran past her husband to the open window, the freezing rain pelting her face as she tried to catch sight of her only child through the storm.

...

Mira was soaked through and numb; the rhythmic movement of her legs slowing as the cold and darkness closed in around her. Still she ran, further and further into the eerie depths of the unforgiving Deepwoods.

**So what did you think??**

**Please please PLEASE review :)**

**It would make me really happy -6**

**Swirling-embers xxx**


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